Bin gate



Nev. 5, 1929. c. A. MCCQSLLQ En 1,734,686

' BIN GATE FiledvJan. 5.. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ndv. 5, 1929. v c. A.MccoLLUM r-:T As. 1,734,686 l 'Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED intesa'CALEB ADDISON MCCOLLUM, DECEASED, LATE OF CLAIRTON, PENNSYLVANIA, BYFLORENCE WOODS MCCOLLUM, EXECUTRIX, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ANDJAMES MCINTOSH, 0F PITTSBURGH,'PENNSYLVANIA BIN GATE i Application ledJanuary 5, 1926. Serial No. 79,464.

This invention relates to mechanically operated gates for storage binhoppers and the like, which deliver material into other receivers suchas larry cars, trucks andthe like, and'while not limited thereto,relates more particularly to mechanically operated gates for the hoppersof coal storage bins used in connection with by-product cokeovens.

By-product coke ovens are charged with coal by a larry car carrying fouror more measuring hoppers, which car travels along the top of a batteryof ovens from the coal bin, where the coal drops into the oven throughsuitable charging holes which are closed by lids during the cokingperiod. The coal bin, which holds the charging stock of coal, is soarranged that when the larry car carrying the measuring hoppers is invposition for loading with coal, each hopper is under a coal bindischarge gate. f 1

Heretofore, the coal bin 'discharge gates have been separately andmanually operated. Owing to the very frequent opening and closing of thedischarge gates .which are quite large and heavy, and the heavyweight ofthe coal against which they must be operated, the operators arefrequently injured due to the jerking and strain necessary to move thegates.- f

The present invention provides mechanical means for operating all of thegates of the coal bin simultaneously, thereby speeding up the filling ofthe larry car and eliminating the manual operation with its resultantinjuries. i

Inthe drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation showing the lower end of a coal storagebin, the larry car and the upper portion of a battery of coke ovens. y

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail elevation showing the bin hopper gatesand the gate operating mechanism carried on the larry car.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on the line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation on the line IV--IV vof Figure 2.

Fi ure 5 is a sectional elevation on the line V-. of Figure2. f

,Referring more particularly to the draw.

ings, the letter A designates the battery of coke ovens, the letter Bdesignatesthe coal storage bin as a whole, and the letter C designatesthe coal charging or larry car as. a whole.

`The bin B has its bottom lconstructed-to form four. hoppers 3, 4, 5 and6 which are closed by discharge gates D. Y

The larry'carC is adapted to travel along the top of the battery ofovens A on tracks 2 and has its body formed as vfour measuring hoppers 78, 9.and 10. The car C is adapted tobe positioned under the storage binB vso that the hoppers 7 8, 9 and 10 of the carY are alined with thelower ends of the hoppers 3, 4, 5 and 6, respectively, of the pin B toreceive coal from the bin hoppers when `the gates D are opened.

The hoppers 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the larry car C are provided withextension tubes or chutes ed .to travel ontrack members 14 secured tothe 4gate'body 11. The rollers 13 are restrained from vertical movementby guide angles 16 secured to the gate body 11 by belts 17. The tracks14 and guide angles 16 are strengthened by being connected at theiroverhanging ends by a web plate 18. It will thus be understood that thecut-oli plates or closuresV of the gates are 'supported in a fixedhorizontal'plane by the rollers 13 and are free to move backwardandforward in this plane to open or closed position.

To simplify the operating mechanism and save time, it is desirable tosimultaneously lill thel four measuring hoppers 7, 8, 9 and 10 of. thelarry car C. Therefore, the cutoff plates or closures 12 are rigidlyconnected together by angles 19 which extend between the several cut-oitplates and are secured thereto by bolts 19a, forming a rigid unit of allthe four plates or closures.

A triggerplate 2O is freely suspended between two transverse anglemembers 21 and 22 which are secured between the angle members 19extending between the plates on the hoppers 4 and 5 of the bin B. Theangle members 21 and 22 are spaced to form a slot in which the triggerplate is free to move in a vertical direction and said trigger isprevented from falling through the slot due to its upper end being bentat right angles to the main portion. as at 20a. The function of thetrigger 20 will be clearly set forth below.

The coal bin discharge gate bodies 11 are provided with a movablesection 26 hinged to lugs 27 on the body and normally held in closed orvertical position by the tension of spring 23 on rods 29. rllhe movablesec- Y tion 26 and springs 28 are oi sutlicient size and strength torelieve any pressure that would prevent the total closing of the cutofi1plate or closure 12 due to a lump of coal being caught between the edgeof the advancing cut-oli plate 12 and the movable section 26; but undernormal conditions the springs 28 are sufficiently strong to hold thesection y26 in closed or vertical position against the coal pressure inthe bin when the closure 12 is advancing to closed position.

The larry car C is provided with an ele-V vated frame work 38 adapted tosupport the novel power operated gate operating unit designated as awhole by the letter E,

The unit E comprises a suitable reversing motor 31 which transmits powerthrough a couplingv 32 to speed'reducing worm gear 33 thence through acoupling 34 and shait 35 to a pinion 36. The pinion 36 is in mesh with arack 44 ona. ram 44'nl which carries two lugs 23 and 24 which areadapted to engage 'the trigger plate 20 when the larry car C ispositioned for loading and the unit E is operated to open or close thecut-off or closure plates 12. Y

` Pinion 36'revolves with the shaft 35 which shaft is journaled inbearings 40 kin a housing 41 and moves the ram 44a which is slidablymounted in guides 42 formed in the top of the housing 41. Ram 442L isheld in the guides `42 on the housing 41 by plates 43 bolted to thehousing 41.

The lugs 23 and 24 are -pivoted on pins 37 Vmounted at 37 onthe rack 44aand are adapted to move through a 90 degree angle in such a manner thatin case the ram 44Y is not in position with the trigger plate 20 betweenthe lugs 23 and 24, ram 44 may be moved and the lug 23 or 24 as the casemay be, will revolve about the pin 37 for permitting the lug to passunder the trigger plate 2O and 'the lug will then return by gravity tonormal position. The outer faces or backs of the lugs 23 and 24 arebeveled so that in case the'lug 23 or 24 as the case may be, did notrevolve freely about the pin 37 the trigger plate 20, due to it beingfree to move vertically, will travel upward ly along the beveled face ofthe lug and over the top thereof and then drop between the lugs.

In order to prevent the overtravel of ram 44a, a limit switch of anystandard design, indicated at 45, is provided at each ond ot the unit E.The switches 45- are connected in the motor circuit and are adapted tobreak the motor circuit when the ram i442VL has reached the limit of itstravel in the direction in which it islbeing moved, but not interferingwith the reverse motor circuit, so that the motor may be operated toreverse the travel ot ythe ram.

As a safety ifeature,a limit switch 39, of standard design, is provided,and islconnected in the circuit to the traction motor (not shown) of thelarry car C and is adapt` ed to open this circuit when theram`44a ismoved to open the closure plates 12 and to remain openv until the ramreturns'to the position to close the plates 12,' thus prevent,"

ing moving the larry car except when the closure plates 12 are closed.`

ln operationthe larry car C is positioned under the coal bin so thatvthe chutes 7a, 8a, 92L and 10n ot the hoppers 7,3, 9 and 10,respectively, of the larry car, are in alinement with the dischargegates D of the bin hoppers 3, 4, 5 and 6.v The operator of the larry carC will then ymake the circuit to the motor 31 through the means of asuitable controller or the like (not shown)` and the pinion 36 will beoperated to move the ram 44a to tlierleft causing lug 24 to engage thetrigger plate 20 and move the closure plates12 into open position. ylVhen the ram 44"* reaches its limit of travel the switch 45 willautomatically break the motor circuit to stop' the motor 31 Hit theoperator" .will automatically break the motor circuit to the motor 31 ifthe operator does not break the circuit by his controller.

As soon as the ram 442L starts to move to the left to open the closureplates 12A the automatic switch 39 will break thevcircuit to the larrycar traction motor (not'shown) and said circuit will remain broken untilthe ram 44a has returned to the yright-hand position to close theclosure plates 12'.

While we have shown and described one specilic embodimentof ourinvention, it willV be understood that Vwe dov not wish to be limitedvthereto t since various modifications When thev ram may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of our invention as defined in the appendedclaims.

We claim:

l. The combination with a material delivering hopper, of a gate forclosing the lower delivery end of Said hopper, anda vehicle forreceiving the material delivered from said hopper, said gate comprisinga body portion, a horizontally reciprocating gate member, a movable sidemember on said body adapted to move outwardly if rany material is caughtbetween the end of said reciprocating gate member and gate body whensaid gate member is being closed, and a power operated unit' carried bysaid vehicle for opening and closing said gate member.

2. The combination with a plurality of material delivering hoppershaving movable gates for closing their delivery ends, of means forconnecting all of said gates together, a power operated vehicle forreceiving material from said hoppers, a power opera-ted unit carried bysaid vehicle for opening and closing said gates, and means for renderingsaid power operated vehicle inoperative when said power operated unit isin operation.

8. The combination with a plurality of material delivering hoppershaving movable gates for closing their delivery ends, of means forconnecting all of said gates together, a

power operated vehicle for receiving ma' terial fromsaid hoppers, apower operated unit carried by said vehicle for opening and closing saidgates, means forming an operative connection between said power oper-Vated unit and said gates, said means being inoperative until saidvehicle is'positioned to receive the material delivered from saidhoppers, and other means for rendering said power operated vehicleVinoperative while said power operated unit is in operation.

4. The combination with a plurality of material delivering hoppers, ofgates for closing the delivery ends of said hoppers, and an electricallypropelled vehicle for receiving the material delivered from saidhoppers, said gates each comprising a body portion,

track members on said body portion, a

wheeled horizontally reciprocable closure member for closing the lowerend of said body portion mounted on said track members, means forrigidly connecting all of said closure members together, an electricallyoperated unit carried by said vehicle for opening and closing saidgates, and mechanical means carried by said gates forming an -operativeconnection between said electrically operated unit and said gates, saidmeans being inoperative until said vehicle is positioned to receive thematerial delivered from said hoppers.

5. The combination with a plurality of material delivering hoppers, ofgates for closing the delivery ends of said hoppers, and an electricallypropelled vehicle for receiving the material from said hoppers, saidgates each comprising a body portion, trackmembers on said body portion,a wheeled horizontally reciprocable closure member for closing the lowerend of said body portion mounted on said track members, means forrigidly connecting all of said closure members together, an electricallyoperated unit carried by said vehicle for opening and closing saidgates, and means for breaking the electric circuit to said electricallyoperated vehicle to render said vehicle inoperative ,when saidelectrically operated unit is being operated.

6. The combination with a plurality of material delivering hoppers, ofgates for closing the delivery ends of said hoppers, and an electricallypropelled vehicle for receiving the material delivered'from saidhoppers, said gates each comprising a body portion, track ymembers onsaid body portion, a wheeled horizontally reciprocable closure memberfor closing the lower end of said body portion mounted on said trackmembers, means for rigidly connecting all of said closure memberstogether, an electrically operated unit carried by said vehicle foropening and closing said gates, means for limiting the opening andclosing movement of said unit, and means for automatically renderingsaidl vehicle inoperative when said unit is' being operated.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FLORENCE WOODS MCOOLLUM, Eaecutrz'm of the Estate of Galeb A. McGol- Intestimony whereof I have my hand.

hereunto set JAMES McINTOSI-I.

